Month: September 2015

Transport when Sydney was first established was an issue. The ships of 1788 bought over very few work animals, and they were too precious to use as beast of burden. Convict labour was used a lot of the time, as that was all that was available.

One thing that was available was water transport. The ships that bought the settlers over could be used to reach other parts of the coast; rivers also allowed settlements to be established in Parramatta, Hawkesbury, Lane Cove and Nepean rivers. Not for the first time areas were settled around the means of transport available at the time.

Early land transport was slow to develop. Carriages from Europe were eventually bought over, but proved unsuitable for the harsh conditions. The lack of roads didn’t help. Eventually the railroad was introduced. Parramatta and Sydney were linked in 1855, and suburbs developed as further train stations were added.

Residential and commercial areas tend to develop as train-lines and river –transport develop; they also tend to remain after the transports systems change. Infastructure can be limited by what was imposed in the past. Roads that were more than adequate generations ago can now be too narrow for heavy traffic, but changes to the roads and surrounding building is near impossible.

Sydney airport developed in the 1920s. Its first regular flights began in 1924, though some private flight had been running for a few years beforehand. It had a combination of features over the next few decades, including 3 gravel runways, but by the 1960s the 2 paved runways were proving inadequate for increased air traffic. Both a third runway and a second airport were proposed. The third runway was eventually built from land reclaimed from Botany Bay but the second airport has never been built, despite being proposed and shelved several times in the last 50 years. Most projections claim the present airport will be inadequate by 2030.

A second airport, use of Canberra’s airport linked by high speed rail to Sydney, or the greater use of Bankstown airport are all options that will change air travel. Sydney airport transfers will adapt around these changes; roads and rail-links will be built to get passengers to and from their flights. Sydney airport shuttle services look forward to seeing the implantation of these new additions to the infrastructure, and plans to expand to meet the new demands

Sydney’s Plan B Shuttle runs several services including airport shuttles at any time of the day or week needed for connection to flights.

So we wear a hat in winter to keep warm and a hat in summer to stay out of the Sun. This is rarely the same hat, unless you live near the Arctic Circle. So what do we look for?

There are a few winter myths that need clarification. We used to be told that an exuberant amount of heat was lost through our head. We actually lose heat from all parts of our body; the head might be slightly more sensitive, but not a lot. It just that the head is the part that is least covered up, and we lose heat from the area that is least covered up. Really, you have the same problem with not wearing gloved in cold weather as not wearing a hat; no glove means cold hands, no hat means a cold head. As hands and heads are both important we strongly suggest appropriate gloves and headwear.

Another myth is that we catch cold from being cold, or maybe being wet. If you feel really cold you probably are staining your health a bit, but the flu is caused by one of 200 different viruses, not the weather. Nonetheless, you can get hyperthermia from exposure to the cold; if you are cold enough to shiver you are taking a risk. Also, cold weather appears to supress the immune system (1), which means you are more likely to catch the flu if you do find yourself exposed to it. Being a little warmer with a hat and gloves is a healthy way to go.

So what hat to wear in cold weather? This s a stylistic matter, many different hats can keep you warm. The best materials are obviously ones that provide good insulation: wool or polyester. Design wise, find something that covers the ears; ears are exposed and don’t usually have a layer of hair over them. Other than that, find a beanie, a trapper hat, or a knitted beret. If you prefer more traditional hats, augment them with a pair of ear muffs. As some hats (like beanies) are both cheap and fairly compact it can pay to have a few on hand; keep a beanie in the pocket of every warm coat; sooner or later you will find yourself using it.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott had put $13.8 million aside for an anti-terrorist measures, apparently aimed at changing immigration policies that were too lenient. After the Martin Place siege of December 2014 this was probably what the public wanted to hear. Knowing that terrorism is a serious ongoing concern most would agree that preventative measures should be taken, but just what measures would be effective is hard to ascertain.

Measures to prevent terrorism are sometimes hard to reconcile with other policies, like Mr Abbot’s ‘instinct is to extend to as many people as possible the freedom and benefits of life in Australia’ (1) . How to offer these benefits and freedom, how to find the right individuals for immigration, is the difficult trick. Mr Abbott was vocal about leniency in policies, but what do we change? Can someone find a tell-tale sign that indicates whether a person is a potential terrorist?

A different prime minister can mean a complete change in policy. If we believe that the politicians are supposed to enact the Australia public’s views we might face a few odd questions here. The prime minister has changed, not the public or its opinion; yet the policy changes with the change of leader. On the other hand, if we believe that the prime minister is there to make decisions in the public’s interest we might feel a little more content. The New Prime Minister might have a different policy, but he will try to bring about the result that the public wants. This is how democracy ostensibly works- The leader gives the public what it wants or s/he gets replaced. Hence, a change in public opinion means either a change in who is a Prime minister, or a Prime Minister who has to change his/her mind.

Of course, Mr Turnbulls’ acquisition of the Prime Ministership was due to support within his party, not a public vote. Mr Turnbull’s opinion on immigration has not yet come forth; he has only been in office a matter of days. Perhaps it will be more to do with the immigration minister, which may also change as Mr Turnbull reshuffles the positions. Still, the leader usually allocates someone who is in line with his/her own policies.

The new Prime Minister’s notion of introducing a new type of leader ship have to be balanced against his retaining of the present same-sex marriage policy, the same climate change policy and his praise of former Prime Minister Abbott’s boarder protection policies (2). A new leader will tend to tell people he will turn the present situation around; if the present situation didn’t need turning the old leader would still be there! Nonetheless he might support the previous policies, but be more effective in implementing them.

Any changes in the immigration policies should be made public in the near future. If you think you need legal advice talk to Hope Immigration, Immigration Lawyers Sydney.

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Jinny Makeup is a Sydney based professional makeup and hair stylist. Specifically catered towards weddings, Makeup is used to bring out a person’s best features, so they can look well presented. Jinny has a wide set of skills to transform her clients, making people feel beautiful and confident; an important part in any wedding. Makeup and Hair packages start from $270 which includes skin preparation, eyebrow shaping, eyelashes, touch up kit and assistance with wedding dresses and other accessories. If you are unsure about what style to choose from, Jinny also provides a trial of up to 3 styles which is usually conducted at her studio in Baulkham Hills. A portfolio of her work can be viewed on the Jinny Makeup Website.

Asian food importers tend to stock many things that are greatly underappreciated. Some foreign items take some getting used to, but many seem like a new combination of classic ingredients. A few overlooked culinary items include:

SHINHWA POPCORN: Not to be confused with the band with a similar name, Shinhwa popcorn is different enough from regular (western) popcorn for it to be considered a novelty, but still seem familiar enough for anybody not wanting to be too adventurous.

DUMPLINGS: Not too far removed from the pastries we eat for lunch, Asian dumplings can contain anything from vegetables and pork to kimchi and fried leeks. Try these as finger food at a party and have something beyond frankfurters and traditional pastries.

ICE CREAMS: This might be the best example of cross cultural influence we have; ice cream developed from some frozen desserts in China in about 200 BC, and has been developed further in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Modern Asian ice creams include green tea flavours, sweet corn, watermelon, chocolate and grape, rice, lemon and lime, and the near ubiquitous Red bean paste.

NOODLES: We think of noodles as instant food, like instant soup; Japan literally built a museum to the history of noodles. Noddles are made from acorn, mung beans, buckwheat, sweet potato, arrowroot, seaweed, tubers, mugwort, green tea, tofu, soy, tapioca, rice and (of course) wheat. Gluten intolerant individuals will be please to know that some varieties of noodles are suitable for their diet restrictions.

TEA: There are more varieties of tea than we can list here, and all of them have at least some health benefits. Unorthodox teas sometimes require slightly different brewing methods (green tea should be made at 80 degrees and not one hundred), but these are not difficult to achieve, and the results are worth the effort. Many connoisseurs of tea refuse to use conventional tea bags and insist on gunpowder tea or match powder. The difference is remarkable. As tea last a while the gourmet varieties make for good presents.